Photographic developing apparatus.



PATENTED SEPT. 8, 1903.

P. ST. J. DAVENPORT. PHOTOGRAPHIC DEVELOPING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED PEB. 14. 1903.

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NO MODEL.

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PATENTED SEPT. 8, 1903.

P. ST. J. DAVENPORT. PHOTOGRAPHIC DEVELOPING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 14. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

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No, r288,665. Patented September 8, 1903.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

FREDERICK ST. JOHN DAVENPORT, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TO CORNELIUS JEROME SIMMONS AND FRANK VAN LEAR TURNER, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

PHOTOGRAPHIC DEVELOPING APPARATUS.

SEEGIE'CATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 738,665, dated. September 8, 1903. Application tiled February 14, 1903. Serial No. 143,281.) (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern: to receive the plates and to contain the solu- Be it known that I, FREDERICK ST. JOHN tions employed, and over this I place an in- DAVENPORT, a citizen of the United States, verted open covering vessel containing means and a resident of Atlanta, Fulton county, for receiving the plates andmechanically-ac- 5 Georgia, have invented certain new and usetuated means for transferring them to the 55 ful Improvements in Photographic Developlower vessel. These two vessels are detaching Apparatus, of which the following is a ably joined together bya light-proof connecspecifieation. tion,which may be readily sundered and they My invention relates to photographic deseparated for inspection,for the iinal removal lo veloping apparatus, and particularly to what of the plates, for cleansing, or what not. The 6o are known as dark cabinets in portable various detail features of invention will be form for the treatment of plate-negatives. more fully stated in the following specifica- The object of my invention is to do away tion and pointed out in the appended claims. with the necessity for a dark room in devel- My invention is fully illustrated in the aci5 oping,flxing,and washing photographic plates com'panying drawings, in Which- 65 after exposure, enabling operators, whether Figure l is a vertical section of my comartists or amateurs, to develop their plates plete apparatus with some parts in side eleimmediately after exposure or under unfavation. Fig. 2 is a view of a plate-holder vorable circumstances where no dark room used with my apparatus. Figs. 3 and 4 are zo could be available, as when on a journey or detail views to be referred to. Fig. la is also 7o during an expedition afield. The invention a detail view to be read in connection with is not limited to any 'particular eld of use- Fig, l. fulness, however, but can be advantageously Referring to Fig. l, A is a rectangular conemployed wherever plate-negatives are used. taining vessel,which I shall hereinafter desig- 25 In the design herewith presented of one nate as the tray Its length and breadth 75 form of the invention it is particularly apare proportional to the dimensions of the plicable to the handling of dry plates. plates to be treated and its depth to their In designing an apparatus to accomplish number. It may be made of hard rubber or the above object I have found the problem other similarmaterial molded into shape; but

3o to involve the following points: First, the ap- I preferably use metal in sheet form with a 8o paratus must be portable, of convenient size, heavy coating of japan or other protective and absolutely impervious to light when in material. It has four legs a. to prevent inuse, even with the most careless handling; jury to the bottom, with consequent leakage. second, it must be possible to transfer the These are not essential, however. Near its 35 plates from the plate-holders to the cabinet upper edge the tray has an offset a', extend- 85 without handling the plates and without daning all around its side walls, forming a reger of exposing them in the slightest degree duced neck, over which the cover B is fitted to cloud the negatives; third, from the mosnugly, forming a light-proof joint. This ment of inserting a plate in the machine uncover B is therefore rectangularin plan, con- 4o til it has been fixed and Washed the operaforming to the tray,wit.h its bottom open, but 9o tions must be mechanical, con fined entirely its upper part completely closed against the within the machine, and produced automatadmission of light and of a height to receive ically through the agency of simple acts on the various parts to be referred to. I make the part of the operator; fourth, all parts of this cover B also of sheet metal coated with 45 the apparatus must be simple in 'construction japan or the like. It has side Walls b, a top 95 and easily accessible for cleaning or repairs. b', and an offset or shoulder b2, forming a My invention successfully solves the probchamber B within the cover, for a purpose lem presented and embodies features coverthat will presently appear.' Above this 0E- ing the points stated, as follows: I provide a set and inthe face h6 is a rectangular open- 5o containing vessel of suitable size and shape ing o7 for the insertion of the plate-holders. roo

This opening communicates with the interior of a transversely and horizontally arranged receiving-box C, whose upper wall c is con tinuous except for small openings, in which lie springs c2 c2, whose function is to press down the plate-holder into intimate contact with the lower vinner faceror Wall c, in which there is an opening c' exactly the size of the plate. At the inner end of the box C, I arrange one or more projections c3 for a purpose which will appear later.

Within the offset h2 and extending from.,

side to side of the box B beneath the box Gis a spindle or shaft d, having its ends protruding through the side walls b b. On one end, presented `toward the observer in Fig. l, is rigidly mounted a crank d','with handle d2, whereby the shaft may be turned. On the farther end is likewise rigidly mounted a crank-arm d3, carrying a depending finger d'1, pivoted to swing against the teeth e of a ratchet e, projecting from the face of a slide E, moving in a vertical path and maintained in position by clips e2 c2 e2 e2. As this slide lies against the side of the cover B, it covers a slot b3 in the latter, and a pin E', attached to the slide, extends through the slot into the interior of the cover B, lying in front of the pivoted separator-plates P when the latter are turned up, as shown. vThese plates are pivoted to pintles passing across the tray A from side to side behind the perforated partition a2, the partition being arranged, preferably, at an angle of forty-five degrees, as shown, and being somewhat too short to extend entirely across the tray, so that the lower ends of the separator-plates can straddle it, as shown in Fig. 4, with their projecting endspp, which take onto the pintles pp.

Attached to the shaft d within the cover B and so positioned as to lie flat against the under side of the box C in normal position of disnse, as shown in Fig. l, is the unloadingtray D, having an upturned lip d5 at its inner edge. In operation when the crank CZ is turned this unloading-tray swings around in the arc ofa circle of which the center is in the axis or shaft d. This circle is shown in dotted lines in Fig. l and marked with an row to show its direction of movement and the letter S. Y g

The separator-plates P when the apparatus is to be used are turned up, as shown in Fig. l; but at other times they lie flat in the tray A, their free ends resting on the partition a3, perforated and arranged at an angle similar to that of partition a2. This partition c3 does not extend clear across the tray, but leaves a space behind it on the side farthest removed from the observer of Fig. 1, in which lies the lower end of the tnbef, with its delector f2 extending over the vertical dam-plate am, having a shorter companion plate a. The tube fis carried by the cover B, being expande-d at its upper end outside the top of the coverbox into a funnel F to receive the developing and iixing solutions and the washingwater. Lying about the middle of the chamber within the cover B and secured to the side wall thereof is a long leaf-spring b3, whose purpose will appear from the statement of operation.

Behind the partition a2 is a slide-plate a4. (Shown in section in Fig. l and in front elevation in Fig. 3.) This plate slides on a horizontal line, being confined by clips @hand is moved at will by means of a button a6 on the end of a pin attached to the plate and extending out through a slot a6@ in the end wall of the tray A. In said end wall is set a spout a5, having a communicating opening a5@ into the interior, normally closed by the slide, but-adapted to be opened when the latter is moved from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the left by reason of its then registering with a similar opening d500 in the slide. Inside the slide is a damming-partition extending up from the bottom of the tray and another extending down from the side wall above the slide, (letteredas.) Allthesedamsprotectthe openings from stoppage and the interior of the box from the admission of light-a much more important feature. Due examination of the entire device will show no way by which the slightest ray by reflection, refraction, or in diffusion can enter when in operation.

The apparatus thus described will receive plate-holders of standard shape and construction, but for its easy manipulation requires a simple device for disengaging the plates therefrom, which will now be pointed out and 4then the operation described.

At the inner end of the box C a pair of projections c3 are fixed to trip the plates from the holder into the unloading-tray D. The plate-holder is shown in Fig. 2. The frame G has the usual slide or cover G' for the plate, fitted to be withdrawn before developing and shown in position by the dotted lines, but broken away across the middle of the iigure to expose the plate g. This plate gis sustained in the holder by a lip g at the upper endand by a movable strip g2 at the lower end. The latter is connected from its middle point by a link Q6 to the inner ends of two pivoted levers g3 g3, pivoted at points g5 g5 and having their outer ends g4 lying flush with the lower edge of the holder. The surface of the holder-frame is shown broken away on the right of Fig. 2, with the leverin full lines, but intact on the left, with that lever in dotted lines. A spring Q7 normally keeps the inner ends of the levers up and the strip g2 out over the edge of the plate. Pressure on the ends g4, however, will pull back the strip g2 and permit the release of the plate.

The operation of this improved developing apparatus is as follows: The tray Abeing clean and the separator plates P" being turned up, the cover B is placed in position with slide E in its lowermost position, as shown in Fig. l, and the handle d2 turned up also in the position shown, so that the unloading-tray D lies up against box C. A

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plate-holder G is' then inserted in the opening la7 of the face h6 of the cover and shoved into the box C, which it fits fairly. So long as the end of the plate-holder covers the opening b?, however, the plates and the body of the holder may vary in size without demanding a change in the size of box C. When the holder is nearly home in the box, the slide Gr is pulled out and the holder shoved sharply against the rear wall of the box C, when the projections c3 press in the ends of the levers g3 at g4, thereby tilting them and pulling back the strip g2. The plate is thus released from the holder and falls face down on the unloading-tray D, which may be provided with a raised border or raised strips or raised points or other devices for supporting the plate without injury to the film on its face. I have not deemed it necessary to illustrate this. The handle d2 is now turned down as far as it Will go. By

this movement the unloading-tray D is swungv down on circle S until it reaches a vertical position, when the plate falls forward, its upper edge describing a curve, (indicated by dotted lines S in the direction of the arrow by the letter,) and in falling impinges on the spring b3, whose function is to break the impetus of the plate and deprive it of momentum toavoid breakage. flat upon the bottom of the tray face up, havingturned completelyover. As the unloadingtrayD is turned down the crank d3 on the farther end of shaft d is being lifted and through the link or finger di* is lifting the slide E, with its pin E. When the trayD has reached the limit of its movement, the slide and pin have moved up, so that the pin clears the top of the first separator-plate P', which falls forward and when the unloading-tray is turned up again falls down into the position shown, in dotted lines at the lower part of the tray A, overlying the plate already fallen and protecting it from the next one to come. The separator-plates thus down are lettered P and rest with their ends on partition cts. The handle d2 having thus been returned to its first position, another plate can be inserted and unloaded in the same manner as the first,

and so on with as many as the tray A will receive and the separator-plates P will separate. Each time the handle d2 is turned down the crank d3 is lifted up and the slide E is raised another tooth, being maintained in position as it is raised step by step by the spring-detent e3. Each step raises the pin E to permit another separator-plate P to fall until they are all down, and the machine is then full. Developing solution, fixing solution, and water for washing, with any other washes that may be desired or any solutions, are introduced in due sequence through the funnel F and tubefand withdrawn through the spout a5 by manipulating the slide a, with its button a. By leaving this slide in position to open the spout-passage a continuous stream of water may be sent through the The plate then falls tray over the plates and thorough 4washing attained. The tray and cover. being light may be moved and tilted or shaken to agitate the solutions in use, if desired, and, in fact, the plates can be treated precisely asin a dark room, except as to one thing-they cannot be inspected to determine the degree of sharpness attained, &c. This is not deemed a drawback in ordinary work, however, as the solutions employed are so uniform and so accurately prepared that the time required for a given effect to be produced is capable of determination with accuracy, and even in fine work an Aartist will soon become expertin estimating without seeing the effects. This lack of inspection has an advantage, in that it saves some spoiled plates-mishandled or accidentally clouded.

When the successive solutions have been;

poured in and drawn off from the trayA and the process of washing completed, the covervbeing placed on the tray and the slide a4 in the latter closed. Everything is then ready for another operation.

.It will be noted that the plates are not han-` dled once from the time they are unloaded until they are finally washed and finished, all manipulations being by handles d2 and a6. rlhe interior parts are all accessible for cleansing and repairs, and no skill is required in handling the machine.

I do not wish to limit my claims to the specific apparatus described, as I believe many details may be changed without aifecting either the character or the functions of .the

apparatus, all such changes fallingwithin the scope and purview of my invention.

What-I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

l. A photographic developing apparatus comprising a tray and a cover separably connectedto form a dark cabinet, means for delivering a plate into the cover, and means Within the cover to transfer the plate to the tray, substantially as described. i

2. A photographic developing apparatus comprising a tray, a cover therefor, and unloading mechanism in the cover adapted to receive a plate and transfer it to the tray, said mechanism operable from without the cover, substantially as described.

3. A cabinet for the treatment of photographic plates having a dark chamber and tray, a receptacle Within the chamber having an outer opening to reeeivea plate-holder, and means within the chamber operable from IIO without to transfer a plate from the holder into the tray, substantially as described.

4. Inaphotographic developing apparatus, a dark chamber and tray, a receiver for plateholders connected with said chamber, a transfer or unloading memberwithin the chamber adapted to receive a plate from the holder, and external means to move said unloading member to deliver the plate from its holder to the tray for treatment, substantially as described.

5. Aphotographic dark cabinet comprising f the following instrumentalities: a developingtray and inclosing cover forminga dark chamber, means for introducing to and withdrawing from the tray developer or other liquids as desired, a slide-box in the chamber adapted to receive a plate-holder together with means to release a plate from the holder while in the box, a movable unloading member in proximity to said boxand adapted to receive the plate and when moved to deliver the same into the tray, together with a suitable handle on the outside of the cabinet, with connections therefrom to the movable member, substantially as described.

G. A photographic dark cabinet having an inclosed chamber provided with a protected opening through the inclosure for the reception of a plate-holder, an unloading member in proximity to said opening adapted to receive a plate from the holder, and means to move said member to deposit the plate within the chamber, and thereafter to return the member into position to receive another plate, substantially as described.

7. In a photographic dark cabinet, a developing-tray, separators therefor normally held out of position and permitting free access to the tray, an inclosure forming a dark chamber over the tray, means for introducing plates, one at a time, into the chamber and thence into the tray, and means for moving the separators into the tray so as to alternate with and separate the plates, substantially as described.

8. A photographic developingtray comprising a body adapted to hold plates and to receive suitable liquids for treating the same, movable separators attached to the tray and normally exposing the latter, but adapted to be moved into position in the tray to separate the plates, substantially as described.

9. A photographic developing apparatus comprising a tray, movable separators for said tray normally turned up out yof the tray, an inclosed dark chamber over the tray, means for A introducing plates into said chamber and thence separately into the tray, a detent in the chamber for the separators, and means to trip the detent and move down one separator lat a time after each plate as the latter passes to the tray, substantially as described.

10. In a photographic dark cabinet', alightproof inclosure, a box therein adapted to receive a plate-holder from without, a pivoted unloading-tray Within the inclosure and in proximity to the box to receive a plate from the holder when inserted,ineans operable from without to move the unloading-tray, to deposit the plate, and to return the tray to position, whereby onev or more plates may be passed intothe inclosure Without exposure to light, substantially as described.

11. In aphotographic dark cabinet, a lightproof'inclosure, a slide-box therein adapted to receive a plate-holder, an unloading-tray within the inclosure and in proximity to the box to receive a plate from the holder when inserted, a shaft for supporting said unloading-tray passing through the wall of the inclosure and fitted with a handle without the same, separators within the inclosure, a slide- `plate on the outside thereof having a detent extending into the inclosure and maintaining `the separators in inoperative position, and a connection from the said shaft to said slide to move the latter, the whole so arranged as to deposit the plates and throw down the separators, singly and alternately, substantially as described.

12. In photographic apparatus, a dark cabinet, a slide-box therein, a plate-holder adapted to be inserted in said box, a plate, a detent normally maintaining said plate in said holder, and means in the box adapted to trip th'e detent and release the plate when the holder is inserted in the box, substantially as described.

13. In photographic apparatus, a frame and a cover, a plate fitted to the frame, a detent in the frame normally extending over the edge of the plate and maintaining it in position, a pivoted releasing-lever in the frame connected with the detent, and adapted when moved to withdraw the same, substantially as described.

14. In a photographic dark cabinet, an inclosure, means for moving plates into said inclosure, and a spring secured Within the same and extendinginto the path of the plates,sub stantially as described.

15. In aphotographic developingapparatus, the tray A and cover B, the slide-box C and unloading-tray D, the separators P and slide E, with shaft d and cranks d and d3, the whole connected and arranged as and for the purpose intended, substantially as described. In witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name, in thepresence of two witnesses, this 12th day of February, A. D. 1903.

FREDK. ST. JOHN DAVENPORT.

Witnesses:

DONALD A. LAYLEss, E. D. THOMAS. 

